Windows · Devices
Configure Keyboard & Typing Settings
Keyboard settings cover autocorrect, text suggestions, and physical/touch keyboard behavior through the Typing settings page, alongside language-specific layout options managed under Language & region. This is where you tune how Windows interprets and assists your typing.
How to open Keyboard
- Open Settings → Time & language → Typing.
- Toggle autocorrect and highlight misspelled words.
- Enable multilingual text suggestions if needed.
- Open 'Advanced keyboard settings' to override the hardware layout if it's detected incorrectly.
What you should know
- Turn autocorrect and text suggestions on or off for physical typing.
- Enable multilingual text suggestions if you type in more than one language.
- Configure the touch keyboard's appearance and behavior separately from the physical one.
- Adjust advanced keyboard settings, including a manual hardware keyboard layout override.
Text suggestions and autocorrect only apply to apps that support Windows' built-in typing suggestions — many professional and coding apps intentionally opt out, so you won't see suggestions everywhere.
Why it matters
Keyboard and typing settings quietly shape the accuracy of nearly everything you type, from catching typos in real time to correctly interpreting special characters on a non-US layout. Getting the hardware keyboard layout right matters especially for anyone using an imported or non-standard keyboard, since a mismatched layout produces the wrong characters for punctuation and symbols. For multilingual typists, enabling suggestions across languages avoids constantly fighting autocorrect meant for a different language.
Best practices
- Turn off autocorrect if you frequently type technical terms, code snippets, or names it keeps incorrectly 'fixing'.
- Enable multilingual text suggestions if you regularly switch between two or more installed languages.
- Override the hardware keyboard layout manually if symbols or punctuation keys produce the wrong characters.
- Check advanced keyboard settings after connecting an imported or unusual keyboard, since Windows may guess its layout incorrectly.
Common problems and fixes
- Certain keys produce the wrong symbol or punctuation mark.
- Open 'Advanced keyboard settings' and manually override the hardware keyboard layout instead of relying on Windows' automatic detection.
- Autocorrect keeps changing intentional technical terms or names.
- Turn off 'Autocorrect misspelled words' under Typing settings, or add the term to your custom dictionary if the app supports it.
- Touch keyboard doesn't appear when tapping a text field on a touchscreen device.
- Check that the touch keyboard is enabled under Typing → touch keyboard settings, and confirm it isn't manually disabled via the taskbar's touch keyboard icon settings.
Tips and tricks
- Use Win+H anywhere text can be entered to dictate text using voice typing instead of the physical keyboard.
- Check 'Advanced keyboard settings' for the option to set an input method per app window rather than switching globally every time.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I change my actual keyboard layout, like switching from QWERTY to a different language layout?
That's managed under Settings → Time & language → Language & region, by adding or selecting the input language and its associated keyboard layout.
Does turning off text suggestions also disable spell-check everywhere?
No, spell-check in specific apps like Word or a browser is usually controlled by that app's own settings, separate from the system-wide typing suggestions toggle.
Can I use a different keyboard layout for each installed language?
Yes, each installed language can have its own default keyboard layout, and you can switch between them with Win+Space.
Related settings
- MouseMouse settings control pointer speed, scroll behavior, primary button assignment, and additional pointer options for both wired and Bluetooth mice. This is where you fine-tune how the cursor responds to physical movement and clicks.
- Language & RegionLanguage & Region settings let you configure your display language, keyboard layouts, regional date/time formats, and add additional languages for typing and speech.
- TouchpadTouchpad settings let you adjust sensitivity, enable or disable tap-to-click, and configure multi-finger gestures for switching apps, virtual desktops, and zooming. These options only appear on laptops with a built-in precision touchpad.
More Devices guides for Windows
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- Printers & ScannersPrinters & Scanners settings let you add, remove, and manage printing and scanning devices connected via USB, network, or Bluetooth. From here you can set a default printer, view print queues, and run scans directly from connected multi-function devices.
- Device ManagerDevice Manager is a classic Windows tool (devmgmt.msc) that lists every piece of hardware attached to your PC — display adapters, network adapters, storage controllers, USB devices, and more — organized into categories. It's where you update, roll back, disable, or uninstall a specific driver, and where a small yellow warning icon points you directly at hardware Windows is having trouble with.
- Graphics SettingsGraphics Settings lets you assign specific apps to your PC's high-performance or power-saving GPU on laptops with both integrated and dedicated graphics, override the automatically chosen graphics preference, and enable Auto HDR and Variable Refresh Rate for supported games. It's most relevant on 2-in-1s and gaming laptops with more than one graphics processor installed.
- AutoPlayAutoPlay settings control what Windows does automatically when you insert removable media or connect a device, such as a USB drive, memory card, or camera.
- USB SettingsUSB settings control notifications for USB connection issues and battery-saving behavior for USB devices when your PC is running on battery power.